Search
Sign in with
Sign up | Sign in

Critique My System Please!

Last response: in Systems
Share

Hello all--

My current PC was purchased in 10th grade--roughly 4 years ago. Struggling with Crysis and newer games has me building an entirely new system. The rundown is:

- $1500 budget, preferably with tax & shipping.
- A relatively future-proof system.
- I worked my ass off at my last job to make some dough, so it has to be spent wisely!

Here's what my homework has provided for me thus far (excluding mail-in rebates; please feel free to suggest other options!):

  • Samsung DVD Burner $27.99 - does what it does; cheap.
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151173

  • WD Caviar 640gb HD $84.99 - good speed, nice capacity, good bang for your gigabyte buck, low heat.
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136218

  • VisionTek Radeon HD 4870 512mb 256-bit GDDR5 GPU $260 - from what I've read, powerful card; cheap price for higher-end card; runs hot.
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814129113

  • Corsair 750w PSU rated at 80%+ w/one 12v rail $129.99 - may be overkill for this build, but provides stability and the ability to crossfire/SLI if I ever choose to.
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006

  • G.SKILL 4gb (2x2gb) DDR2-800 SDRAM $69.99 - cheap, well performing RAM. Is higher speed RAM worth it?
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231122

  • Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 Yorkfield @2.83GHz $329.99 - the most expensive component in the build; fast w/relatively low heat; quad-core (which I want for future-proofing).
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115041

  • Foxconn P45A-S Mobo $119.99 - I was gonna go with a similar Gigabyte board, but the mixed reviews made me pick the Foxconn board; easy to overclock with.
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813186148

  • Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit $99.99 - DX10; etc.

    Total comes to $1224.96 w/shipping and tax. I am also looking to purchase a $200 22in Acer monitor, so I will most likely be gaming at around 1680x1050 which is why I'm not going with a dual-GPU system at the moment.

    I am deciding between the Antec 900, Antec 1200, and the CoolerMaster Cosmos. I want to be set on cooling (will only do mild overclocking, if any). These must be included in the budget. Also, are there any components worth waiting for? I mean really waiting for? I was going to do this build at the beginning of the year, but held off for the new GPUs... I don't want to wait forever :) 

    Thanks guys, your help is appreciated!

    • More about : critique system

    Register or log in to remove

    I think I'd also choose Gigabyte, Biostar, or Asus over Foxconn. By the time you get your monitor, you'll be near your budget. Consider the CoolerMaster RC-690 for your case. Cooling is excellent, and it includes three 120mm fans. It costs less than the others, possibly at buy.com.
    If you get the P5Q Pro that Wanker linked, you might start with a single 4850 now to make budget, and add a second one for Crossfire later.

    Definitely go with Gigabyte over Foxconn. While the Foxconn hardware is alright their support really sucks. Their website is a lot more helpful then it use to be though. Anyway Gigabyte definitely makes a better product and has better support. I'd say go with MSI, Gigabyte, Asus, DFI, and even ASRock over Foxconn.
    Register or log in to remove
     
    Ask the community
    Read discussions in other Systems categories
    !